Authorities say the Texas man lured a 13-year-old San Antonio girl to California, took her to California, threatened her with a firearm, and threatened her with a sexual assault.
Her rescue from her prisoner, now 63, took place on July 9, 2023 outside the coin laundry on East 10th Avenue in Long Beach.
The girl scrawled the words “Help me!” According to the US Lawyer’s Office in the Central District of California, she was sitting at a silver Nissan Sentra with a red pen on torn paper. Someone passing by called police after seeing a plea for help, officials said. When the officers arrived, she uttered the word “help,” and they took her out of the car.
Stephen Robert Sablan of Cleburn, Texas pleaded guilty to kidnapping in January 2024. He has been in federal custody since the incident, authorities said. He was also ordered to pay $1,158 in reparations.
“The 35-year sentence imposed ensures that this defendant has no opportunity to sacrifice a child,” Atty said. Joseph T. McNally in a news release. “There’s nothing more important than protecting our youth. I applaud our federal and local law enforcement partners for their efforts to ensure justice here.”
Sablan said he accused of the San Antonio victim (who she said she was 13), took her to Long Beach and continued to use a firearm to control her.
The girl was sexually assaulted during her trip to California.
“[Sablan] The prosecutor said in the memorandum of the verdict. “And in a while [Sablan] Her parents abused her, suffered from a missing child, and feared the worst. The worst was not far from reality. ”
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